Gardening jobs for June
I particularly love the month of June for gardening due to being able to pick regular bunches of flowers all in the aid of encouraging further growth! The veg patch is also starting to take off with plenty of seedlings appearing and salad leaves and radishes being ready to pick. There are also plenty of jobs to be done around the gardening and here are some keys ones.
Flowers
June is one of the most colourful months for flowers in the garden and it’s also a very busy time when it comes to keeping them blooming. Spring bulbs need to be cut back and dividing if they’re overcrowded. Flowers need to be continually deadheaded throughout the month to encourage further growth and kept regularly fed and watered if it’s a particularly dry month. Remember to continually pick your sweet peas as soon as they flower to encourage further blooms. Summer bedding plants can be planted out now that the risk of frost has gone. You can even start planning for Autumn by sowing pansies and primroses in the greenhouse.
Odd jobs
Ensure any tall plants, such as giant poppies, aren’t falling over by tying the top of the plant to a stake. The lawn can quickly become out of hand, so mow it twice a week and water and feed it on warm days. Remember to open the greenhouse on hot days to circulate air and stop plants from overheating. You can also put bowls of water in the greenhouse to increase humidity. Also, don’t forget to keep the bird baths topped up with water.
Veg patch
Now is the time to start thinning out seedlings such as lettuce, carrot, beetroot and fennel and planting out seedlings from the greenhouse including beans, squashes and courgettes. To continue with a regular supply of salad throughout the summer, direct sow a second batch of lettuce, radish, rocket and mizuna. You can do this every few weeks if you’re keen, continuing into early Autumn if the weather is good. Remember to keep an eye on your tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse throughout June. Tomatoes need to be regularly fed and have their side shoots pinched out as soon as the first truss is producing fruit.
Conserve water
If it’s a hot month, only water those areas of the garden that are especially dry and remember to water the roots of plants deeply; this ensures the water reaches the roots rather than just sitting on the surface. Use water butts if you have them and even the washing up water on plants; not only is this environmentally friendly but washing up liquid is great for getting rid of aphids.
